Children’s perceptions of factors related to physical activity in schools

Background: Increasing numbers of children are facing health problems as a result of physical inactivity. Besides the home, school is a natural place to promote children’s daily physical activity (PA). Knowledge about factors promoting or preventing children’s PA at school, from the perspective of children, is limited.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to learn the factors that eight- and nine-year-old schoolchildren identify from their school environment related to physical activity during their school day. This study was established as a sub-project within a larger, sixteen-country collaboration project by HEPCOM (Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Local Communities) and reports on a piloting phase.

Sample: Finnish second-graders (age 8–9 years, n = 22) from one primary school participated in the study.

Method: A photo-elicitation methodology was used, including photographs taken by children and interviews in groups based on the photographs. The data were analysed qualitatively by inductive content analysis.

Results: The children described factors appearing in the physical environment, such as the playground, and those in the nonmaterial, abstract environment, such as the weather. According to the findings, three categories emerged: (1) personal and economic, related to children’s individual preferences and opportunities; (2) sociocultural, related to friends and belonging in a group; and (3) environmental, related to physical and political outdoor and indoor solutions at the school, as well as to policies and rules in the school community. Children emphasised the importance of friends and games, but play areas were also experienced as significant. Based on children’s experiences, rules and laws direct all activities at school, which was not always perceived as a positive thing.

Conclusions: Although the findings of this small-scale study cannot be generalised, the children’s perceptions suggest some crucial areas for future research. Playing and exercising during the school day are important in fulfilling the recommendations for daily PA for children, as well as in promoting their mental and social health. To enable equal possibilities for an active lifestyle for all children at school, positive and encouraging adults, as well as age-appropriate and safe infrastructure, are needed. The children’s day should be viewed as a whole, not as single situations, where physical activities are offered.     

Capabilities and the global challenges of girls’ school enrolment and women’s literacy

The education Millennium Development Goals have been highly influential on the priorities for education and concentrated policy efforts on numbers of girls enrolled in public sector schools offering basic education. This focus has been justified by human capital calculations of the social rates of return to basic schooling. This concern with quantities has met criticism from more qualitative researchers concerned with understanding not only why girls are not enrolled in school, but also why they may be irregular attenders and poor performers in public examinations even if they are enrolled. Alongside the efforts to achieve the education Millennium Development Goals have been initiatives to improve adult women’s literacies, often combined with an empowerment objective. This paper uses Sen’s capability approach to argue that improving deliberative processes is relevant for the well-being of girls and women of all ages.     

Different influence of contextual educational factors on boys＇ and girls＇ reading achievement

The results of lEA （The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement） PIRLS 2006 （Progress in International Reading Literacy Study） has showed that Latvia has the 6th largest gender gap in reading literacy scores and that is an indication of a serious problem of education in this country. The purpose of the paper is to find out reasons behind boys＇ low achievement to help improve their reading literacy. The proposed hypothesis is that boys and girls are differently affected by the same factors. If that is so, teachers, parents and other education practitioners should be aware of this fact to adapt reading literacy studies for both genders at maximum efficiency. In this research, PILRS 2006 data are used and different structural equation models are created to find out which factors have the most influence on boys＇ reading achievement. Structural equation modeling （SEM） is based on achievement scores and student and parent questionnaire data. The model formed using all population data was applied to boys＇ and girls＇ data separately to observe different influence of the same factors on students reading achievement scores. The comparison of standardized coefficients of structural equation model among five countries （Spain, Russian Federation, Lithuania, Latvia and Trinidad and Tobago） has been performed. Running the same model over different boys＇ and girls＇ data of different countries has showed that the strengths of relationships among the variables are similar. It was expected to observe noticeable differences between SEM coefficients of boys＇ and girls＇ data, but it turned out that big gender differences in reading achievement does not mean big differences in standardized coefficients of structural equation model and vice versa. It is found that school environment has greater impact on boys reading literacy.     

A discussion of the developing role of educational psychologists within Children’s Services

This paper reflects upon the developing role of educational psychologists (EPs) within the local authority Children’s Services, from the starting point that the EP role has, through numerous reviews, been clearly conceptualised. Detailing the philosophy and framework for the inception of Children’s Services in England, the authors propose two specific directions for EP work within this context. With an illustrative case study of one local authority EP service, it is argued that, whilst the core EP functions remain constant, it is the range and derivation of EP work which is being, and will continue to be, transformed. Reinforcing Stobie’s emphasis from 2002 upon EPs’ ability to respond flexibly to the changing socio‐political context, and the associated challenges for initial professional training, the authors highlight the significance of issues of role specialisation, commissioning of educational psychology services, and evaluation of the outcomes of EP work. A strategy for future EP role reviews is proposed.     

Listening to children’s views of spiritual and metaphysical concepts: A new dimension to educational psychology practice?

Educational psychologists (EPs) have for many years been developing techniques for listening to children. The aim of the present research was to investigate ways of listening to the “spiritual” views of children in order to develop questions that educational psychologists might use as part of the assessment repertoire. The study explored children’s spiritual concepts such as their purpose for “being on the planet” and the “meaning of their life”. The findings suggest that primary and secondary school children from mixed religious backgrounds can respond to spiritual questions in a clear way. In addition, most children believed that spiritual views influence how children behave. Further research is required to explore whether children’s views of spiritual concepts are linked to learning and progress in school and in life.     

A cultural study of Chinese American women’s self-identification and education

Frontiers of Education in China - This qualitative research aims to investigate the process of how Chinese American women develop their identities while growing up in the United States as daughters...     

The role of environmental factors in beginning teachers’ professional learning related to differentiated instruction

Little research has investigated factors that facilitate beginning teachers’ participation in professional learning activities related to differentiated instruction (DI). This study examines environmental factors for DI learning activities in a sample of 272 beginning teachers from 72 primary schools. Multilevel analyses show that teacher education, reflective dialogue, deprivatized practice, educational type, and diversity in student population are related to beginning teachers’ use of DI learning activities (i.e., learning in interaction and changes in practice). As such, the findings revealed that beginning teachers’ participation in such activities may depend on a multitude of factors. Several suggestions regarding these factors are made. First, teacher education can provide foundational knowledge of DI applications. Second, schools can enable teachers to have in-depth conversations with colleagues and provide opportunities to observe good teaching practices. Lastly, alternative schools and schools with diverse student populations can inspire other schools to enhance participation in DI learning activities.     

Boys’ and girls’ educational choices in secondary education. The role of gender ideology

This study aims to explain why boys and girls in secondary education choose different educational tracks. We argue that adolescents internalise gender expectations as to what is “appropriate” male and female behaviour in their gender ideology. Gender ideology can affect educational choices by influencing (1) how adolescents evaluate their competence in certain subjects (competence beliefs), (2) what they find important in a future occupation (occupational values) and (3) what school subject they prefer right now (subject preferences). Longitudinal data collected among adolescents at age 15 and 16 (N = 1062) are used. Multinomial path models show that gender ideology shapes boys’ occupational values and subject preferences, whereas for girls it shapes their competence beliefs. Only for boys this leads to gender-stereotypical educational choices, however. Our results support the idea that gender expectations are stricter for boys than for girls and may prevent men from entering more feminine career tracks.     

Doing the ‘work of hearing’: girls’ voices in transnational educational development campaigns

There is an increasing focus in transnational campaigns for girls’ education and empowerment on highlighting the voices of girls from the global south. These moves are made in response to feminist critiques of said campaigns for not attending to the diverse, multiple and complex lived experiences of girls. This article engages in theorising these present encounters and suggests alternate methodologies for engaging with girls. It argues that eliciting/granting voice to marginalised groups (such as girls from the global south, in this case) involves doing the ‘work of hearing’; devoid of this, the voices become a mere add-on. Focusing on an engagement with girls in Pakistan, the author theorises that the practice of hearing entails attending to the seepages and excesses of girls’ voices – or, that which exceeds dominant codes – that point to the multiplicity of their investments, commitments and visions of good life; being open to new terms of development that are identified by the participants themselves, terms that may not align with prevalent ‘best practices’; and being cognisant of the weight that Eurocentric knowledges carry, which often makes the work of hearing indigenous knowledges difficult.     

Factors that contribute to the educational success of Haitian‐American women

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that contributed to the academic success of Haitian‐American women. This study was also conducted to determine if factors attributed to by academically successful Haitian women are related to selected demographic characteristics. Two hundred and thirteen Haitian women selected from the National Haitian Student Alliance, with at least a Bachelor’s degree, participated. They completed an online survey designed to elicit demographic information and their perception of the factors. Our results indicate that self‐motivation, financial assistance, access to resources, self‐perception and time management are among the most important factors that contributed to their academic success. Less important are community support and knowledge of a second language. Statistically significant relationships were found between a linear combination of the 16 success factors and only the following demographic characteristics: birthplace, years taken to complete college, father’s level of education and participant’s residence region.     

The educational developer’s portfolio

The roles and responsibilities described in internationally advertised job opportunities for educational developers reflect the diversity and emerging professionalism of the field. Models adapted from the traditional teaching portfolio are a promising means of articulating these roles and responsibilities, and of defining the nature of the educational development profession.     

A case study of low‐status women’s attitudes towards computers

This study investigates the attitudes of a group of low‐status women towards computers through a deliberately designed computer training programme. Four aspects of the women’s attitudes were examined, including computer anxiety, confidence, liking and usefulness. Data sources consist of pre‐ and post‐surveys and interviews with the participants. The results show that the participants’ attitudes towards computers improved greatly after attending the training course, especially in terms of the aspect of anxiety. It was also found that the instructor’s patience, repeated step‐by‐step demonstrations, detailed notes presented with screen‐image snapshots, stand‐by tutors and a friendly learning environment were the main elements that effectively helped the learners increase their positive feelings towards learning to use computers. The study reveals that once women have opportunities to use computers and once they are adequately instructed, the majority will be connected to the digital world in no time.     

Knowing feminism: the significance of higher education to women’s narratives of ‘becoming feminist’

ABSTRACT

Educational spaces have long provided opportunities for politicisation and activism. However, research into the processes through which students become politicised can often focus on participation in recognised forms of political action, thereby ignoring the multiple factors active in developing a political consciousness. This paper draws on narrative interviews with feminist women to consider the importance of education to their experience of becoming feminist. It considers how, for a particular group of women who were all students or recent graduates of non-STEM disciplines, academic feminism formed an important part of their narrative of becoming feminist. Each of the women referred to having a long-standing feminist inclination, instinct or feeling and indicated that studying academic feminism offered them the tools for reflecting on and articulating this.